Bates Reimagined
by DaEldestSalvatore
Summary: I rewrote Bates Motel scenes with Soulbates in mind because they deserve more happy scenes.
1. 3x04

Norma walked into her kitchen to find Norman in her apron and food on the table. It wasn't cooked or anything but it was clear that he was making something.

"You're making dinner?" she asked as Norman turned to face her.

"No, I'm making some food to bring on our picnic tomorrow." Norman answered. He knew that the feeling that things were changing wasn't only evident to him but to her too and he wanted to spend some time with her to reassure them both that no matter what changed, they never would. Plus, he knew his mother deserved a break from the craziness of their every day lives.

"Aw I'd love to go on a picnic with you tomorrow but I've got class." She said a little sadly. It had been a minute since they'd spent any time together just the two of them and she was happy he had orchestrated this, but she'd just enrolled in classes that were going to help them promote the motel.

Norman was sure his disappointment shown on his face. He should have remembered that she had class. But all hope was not lost yet. "What about after?" he asked, hoping she would say yes. He had a feeling they both needed this.

Norma knew they both needed it too and her class, while important for them also, could wait. She shook her head. "Forget the class. I can go the day after tomorrow. This is more important." She said, grabbing his arm with a smile.

He smiled back at her, happy she had decided to do this with him. He was even more excited than he had been when it first crossed his mind. "You can help me make the sandwiches then." he joked, mostly.

She lightly pushed him but let go of him and picked up a piece of bread anyway. "This wasn't just a rouse to get me to help you make food was it?"

He laughed and looked at her as he picked up a piece of bread also. "Of course mother. I would plan an entire picnic just to get you to help me."

She couldn't stop herself from laughing also as they made sandwiches, two for each of them.

The next day, Norman got up early to make sure everything was ready and in the basket they'd be bringing with them on the picnic.

He remembered to pack a blanket and water and figured they'd find an activity to do themselves - they always did.

Norma woke up after him but not much later, and smiled at him when she walked in the kitchen. "You're really excited for this aren't you?"

He looked up and smiled at her. "And you're not?"

She shook her head. "No I am, I just didn't sacrifice sleeping in for it." She said, making a face at him.

He shrugged, his hands in his pockets. "I wanted to make sure everything was ready before something else crazy sneaks up on us."

She nodded. "Fair enough." She took it upon herself to grab the basket with one hand and loop her other arm with his.

He smiled at her, happy they had Emma to man the motel while they were gone.

They walked out to the car together and Norman held the basket in his lap as she drove so that he could make sure everything wouldn't spill out.

White Pine Bay had a lot of grassy fields surrounding it and on the sides of most roads, and they chose one as far from their house as possible. This town tended to house a weirdo around every corner and especially the corners near them - but not today.

Today was just about them.

Norma parked on the road and they both got out; Norman shuffling to open Norma's door for her.

She smiled and mock curtsied. "Why thank you."

He smiled with a nod and tugged her deeper into the field by the hand, the basket in his other.

It was a nice day and the green grass rustled in the gentle breeze as Norman set down the basket and opened it, pulling out the blanket.

Norma walked opposite him and grabbed the other part of the blanket and they both set it down together.

They wasted no time sitting down before it could start blowing in the wind and they both laughed a little at how this was going so far.

Norman grabbed the basket and handed her sandwiches to her, crossing his legs as his mother settled onto the blanket on top of her billowy dress so it wouldn't get blown up.

He smiled at his mother as he unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite. "So you really skipped your class for this?" he asked, chewing. "Will they miss you?"

She gave him a look. "Norman don't talk with your mouth full." She scolded. "But no, they won't miss me. They haven't even met me yet."

He made sure he had swallowed his food before he spoke again. "It isn't too late to drop the class altogether."

She looked at him in surprise, her sandwich pausing on its way to her mouth. "I told you, we need this. It's good for us to know how to market ourselves with this bypass inevitably happening." She rolled her eyes just thinking about it and bit her sandwich.

"Don't worry about it mother. I'm sure we'll be fine." he told her, sensing that his mother was getting annoyed. This was supposed to be her break and he didn't want her stressing over anything at all.

"You think so?" she asked, her voice taking on that quality it did when she needed reassurance.

He nodded, a big smile on his face. "Of course. We've been fine before. A bypass isn't going to stop us."

A smile to match his broke out over her face and she moved closer to him, laying on his shoulder. "I'm glad you did this. I hate getting so caught up in this town's crazy, but it keeps happening."

He understood that all too well and rested his head atop hers. "I'm glad I did this too mother."

They continued to eat their sandwiches in silence this time, content being in each other's presences and listening to the rustling of the grass.


	2. 3x01

Norma was sound asleep, or she had been before hearing the sound of Dylan calling for Norman to wake up for school.

She had been having a wonderful dream and didn't see herself getting up at her usual time to make breakfast, what with that and the fact that Norman had fallen asleep next to her like he often did and now his arm was around her. It always helped her sleep, and from the pattern of his breathing it was helping him too. Not only that, but it was natural for them and made both of them feel untouched by the world if only for these late night and early morning hours.

The door creeked open and she looked just in time to see Dylan turn away from the door with that awkward look on his face he often had when he witnessed how close they were.

She frowned a bit and since she didn't see herself getting back to sleep she reluctantly took this opportunity to get up.

Grabbing a robe and walking to the kitchen, she greeted Dylan. "Morning honey, do you want toast?" she asked, getting the bread out.

It didn't take long for the bread to pop up and when it did she asked him to pass the butter, the hot toast slightly burning her as she transferred them to a plate.

He did, still with that expression on his face from before. "What's wrong with Norman?" he asked.

She glanced at him as she paused her buttering. "What do you mean?"

"I went by his room and his bed was made." he said quizzically.

"Oh, we were talking in my room and he fell asleep..he was so tired poor thing." She replied, going back to buttering. She felt like he was calling them out or something and she was on the defensive almost immediately.

"Don't you think that's weird?" he asked, shifting his weight to his other foot.

She stopped buttering altogether now and turned so that she was facing him more. "No I don't think it's weird. It happens all the time, we just stay up late what difference does it make?" She understood that he didn't know what they had and likely didn't think it was normal or whatever but he couldn't possibly be this weirded out.

It appeared that he was when he responded with, "Norman's 18, he shouldn't be sleeping in the same bed as his mom."

Norma put a hand on her hip and looked down at the bread, contemplating his words. It wasn't like they were doing anything..plus he didn't and couldn't understand. He didn't have a say in it. "Come on you're overreacting." She said, giving him a look. She still felt like she had to justify this. "He just fell asleep it's not a big deal."

Dylan took a short moment to answer but when he did he nodded. "Alright. Okay."

"Okay." She nodded back, picking up the knife again. She knew what he was saying but that didn't mean she had to listen. It wasn't hurting anyone and in fact was helping both of them sleep. There was nothing wrong with it, regardless of what Dylan felt.

Hours later, Norma and Norman were having a movie night. It was a tradition for them since they liked the same movies and didn't mind watching them over and over again.

They were in her bed with the laptop on his lap and popcorn next to him.

Something funny was said, at which Norman laughed a little and she smiled, thinking this the perfect opportunity to address what had been on her mind ever since he'd come running home from school earlier.

"I've been thinking about something." She said to him.

"What is it?"

"I don't think you need to go to school." She said, to which he replied with a surprised but pleased look.

"I don't?" he asked, pausing the movie.

"Well, you need to get your high school diploma, but I looked into it and you can homeschool." She smiled as she said this, happy it was a possibility for him. With all that they'd been going through recently it was better for him to be here anyway.

Norman moved the laptop, a smile lining his mouth." You'd be okay with that?"

"I think so.. I don't think school has been good for you." She said honestly. "And it's also a little selfish on my part. I want to take a business class at the Community College. Self marketing. You know we have to be proactive about this bypass happening. We can't just sit back and lose our business." She looked at him closely so she could catch his reaction at what he said next. "So I thought.. Maybe it's time I give you a promotion. "

His smile grew. "A promotion?"

She nodded, her smile widening also. "I wanna make you motel manager."

"No" he said happily, like it was too good to be true.

She laughed a little and nodded. "Yes."

It took him a few moments to let it sink in, but when it did he looked at her and nodded. "Okay mother, I'll be motel manager." he said, his smile growing still as she wrapped him in a hug that he happily returned.

After the hug they sat and looked at each other as they often did and what Dylan said earlier crossed her mind.

"You know this morning, Dylan found us in bed together and had some things to say about it." She informed him, wondering how he would react to the information.

Norman's features soured into a frown. "Some things like what?"

"Like how you're 18 and shouldn't be sleeping in my bed.." She said, looking at him still.

He shook his head, rolling his eyes. "He just doesn't understand us. Being 18 doesn't mean I'm going to change, that_ we're _going to change."

She brushed brown hair off of his forehead and nodded, confirming his words. "He can say or think whatever he wants but it won't get between us, will it Norman?"

He shook his head, the smile returning. "No it won't mother." he said and maneuvered with her as she laid down, likely to sleep.

He wrapped an arm around her as he always did and laid against her as they drifted off, the smiles still on their faces.


	3. 3x07

After what had happened when the therapist had gone downstairs to talk to Norman and finding out that he was simply acting out because he missed her, plus with her having left and all that, she knew she had to reassure him that she would never leave him again, and that she only wanted to help at all times despite their petty arguments.

He'd expressed that things were changing which was causing him to act out also. She wanted him to know that no matter what changed, her love for him never would.

And that was what she was going to do.

She'd told him they were to have dinner tonight, just the two of them, and spend some time together. She was already more than halfway through the meal. It was his favorite, turkey pot pie and for dessert she'd made apple pie, his other favorite.

This was going to be perfect.

Norman was in his room doing some homework and waiting for his mother to call him down for dinner.

He hoped Dylan had somewhere else to be tonight, because his mother had told him that the dinner was going to be only them; and despite him telling Dylan about not wanting to be the man that hated him for spending more time with his mother, he still felt jealous at times and he wanted tonight to confirm what they both kept losing sight of - that they would always be the most important people in each other's lives and nothing could get between them.

He set the pencil down and wiped his palms on his pants, already smelling the food his mother was making. It smelled like turkey pot pie, a dish he loved, with something else sweet and his mouth watered. He hoped she'd be done soon.

His door opened all of a sudden and he looked up to find Dylan there.

"Hey.. I'm gonna have dinner with Emma tonight. She stayed with us when Norma left and I kind of want to show my appreciation." he told him, leaning on the door.

Norman nodded, smiling at his thoughtfulness. "I'm sure she'll like that." he said honestly. He had to remember to thank her too. He was her friend despite their relationship not really working out.

Dylan nodded once and left the room, and he heard him descend the stairs likely to tell his mother the same thing.

"Dinner's ready!" Norman heard some time after Dylan had gone. He smiled immediately and got up from his desk, coming down the stairs as fast as he could without outright running.

"It smells amazing mother." he said happily as he entered the kitchen. The table was already set and he could see his favorite dish in the center, alongside another pie he could already tell was apple. She'd truly gone all out for this and he appreciated it very much.

"Of course it does; its your favorite." She smiled, planting a kiss on his cheek before going around the table to sit in the seat opposite his.

Norman sat down and started plating his food. He watched his mother as he did this, feeling better than he had in weeks and the evening had just started. It was sort of funny how the moment they shut out the world and set aside all of the problems they had and simply sat in each other's company everything got better.

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she plated her own food.

He shook his head, looking away finally. "Nothing mother... I'm just glad we're doing this."

She smiled widely and reached across the table, grasping his hand in hers. "I'm here for you Norman, from now until the end of time. I want you to always remember that."

He nodded, looking at her intently. He would do better to remember that. Everyone else in their lives came and went, but they were the constant.

She let go of his hand finally and began eating, looking at him just how he'd done to her.

It took him a moment, but when he noticed he made a face. "What?"

"Oh nothing" she shook her head. "I'm just wondering if you want to watch a comedy or a drama later." She said, excited for whatever he chose. They hadn't watched a movie together in a while and she was glad they were bringing this tradition back.

He shrugged but replied with, "I think a comedy will be better. We have enough drama in our lives."

She let out a laugh and covered her mouth so that food wouldn't fly out, nodding at his words. Enough drama in their lives indeed.

After the meal, they both took a piece of apple pie to Norma's bed, where they sat against the headboard and watched their movie as they ate.

In the back of Norman's mind what the therapist had suggested was still there and he tried his best to not think about that. This time was about them only and he couldn't, _wouldn't_ ruin it with someone else's observations.

She rested against him and him against her in turn as they laughed occasionally at different scenes in the movie and ate their pie.

As the movie continued, Norman found himself longing for the days when they would simply play and sing or dance together without a care in the world. So many things were so different now and he didn't like it very much.

"I miss when our lives were like this... Carefree and happy without the extra baggage." Norman said sadly.

The entire purpose of this was so that for at least one night they wouldn't focus on all of that and Norma wouldn't allow the outside world to mess it up. She paused the movie and pulled away from Norman to turn his face toward hers with both her hands.

"Things are always going to change Norman. We just have to hold on to the things that don't - like us, and this." She moved his bangs off his forehead. "We're together, and that will never change no matter what else does."

He knew she was right, and that he was letting in the world when this was supposed to just be them. His earlier smile returned to his face and he nodded. "Okay mother."

She smiled back and kissed his forehead before wrapping him in a hug, careful to not spill their apple pie.

He returned the hug and closed his eyes as he willed all thoughts away except the ones about the moment right in front of him.


	4. 4x09

"Why are we both broken right now mother?" Norman Bates asked his mother that lay next to him on her bed, their somber expressions mirroring each other.

"Life is... hard but we still have each other and we will always have each other and nothing will ever change that and that is everything." he knew he was rambling but he didn't care, and neither did Norma. They both knew he was exactly right and it brought small smiles to their faces.

Norma was quiet for a moment and after several seconds of quiet, Norman said, "Do you remember when you said you wanted to move to Oahu?"

His mother laughed a little almost immediately and he continued reminiscing. "That it was safer because it was an island."

"I do," Norma said in between laughter, "I remember."

"Why don't we go there?" Norman asked as Norma offered him her hand to hold.

"Because we have no money." his mother replied though with no sadness like she usually would have said it with.

"So we save up. The furniture in this place must be worth something." he said with a small shrug while Norma smiled and they both thought about what this even meant for them. It was another dream, like the one that brought them to the town in the first place, and it would take time to bring it to fruition, but right now all that mattered was that it was a moment of hope and happiness in the midst of all they'd gone through.

It was for this reason that he continued to fantasy. "We just walk away from the house - we let the bank have it, we buy two tickets to Oahu, we get a little apartment, we go down to the beach every day and live on Macadamia nuts..."

The two of them couldn't help but laugh at that and their laughs were hearty and full and everything they hadn't felt in a long while.

They finally held hands after that, still laughing a bit. "You always love new beginnings mother. Fresh starts." he said the last two words in a playfully mocking tone.

Like it often did though, Norma's laugh turned into a face of defeat and sadness once again as a reminder of all that had happened came back to her. "I don't think I could start over Norman."

"I think you can mother - you will. We'll just do it together." he told her hopefully. He believed that they could, or at least in this moment it was what they both needed to hear.

She looked at him then. "Are you serious?" she asked.

He nodded.

"You really wanna do it?"

"I do, I really do." he replied, a smile slowly returning to his face as they turned to each other.

Norma's smile was back now too. "It sounds crazy.. But nice." Their lives were already crazy, what was another restart or the dream of one to bring them both solace in this hard time.

They sat like that, looking at each other with smiles on their faces for a moment before, "Look at us mother. We are.. Very charming people." he said, both of them laughing before he could get the words out.

"Hospitality business on the island will just swoop us off." he said as they both laughed again.

The laughs died down but the smiles stayed as Norman said, "I just think we can do anything, as long as we're together." Which is what all of this was about and they both knew it. Whether they went to Oahu or died right here, they would do it together because that was how it was meant to be.

"We're supposed to be together aren't we Norman." She said, as more of a statement than a question, looking at him again. "Are we?"

"Yeah." Norman said, kissing her hand once. "Yes we are mother, forever."

They looked into each other's eyes, ghosts of smiles still on their faces, and before they knew it, they were moving closer and closer still until their lips met in a gentle but fiercely passionate and confirming kiss.

Their free hands went to the other's faces while the others stayed entwined. The kiss they shared never got hungry or too fast, it didn't need to. It was yet another confirmation of the bond they shared and told them both more than any words could.

And as they laid down to sleep, wrapped in each other's embrace and not knowing what would come tomorrow or five years from then, they knew that whatever happened, they would face it side by side, as one and that was all there was to know.


	5. 4x02

Norma jumped up from the table and ran out of the dining room. Norman's demeanor and attitude lately had been unsettling to say the least and his outburst just now told her she had to make sure he didn't do something she knew he would regret.

"Mother!" Norman's yell rang out from behind her as she ran up the stairs, hoping she'd gotten enough of a head start to get to her room before he caught up. "Get back here, right now!"

Her eyes were on her bedroom and as much as she hated to admit it, the gun she kept under her mattress - if she could just get to it. She wasn't going to shoot him, but maybe seeing it would snap him out of whatever he was doing.

"Get back here!" he yelled again, his voice closer behind this time. She tried not to focus on the fear in her heart and ran into her room and straight to her bed where she immediately pulled up the mattress to find... Nothing.

She looked up at Norman standing in her doorway, her gun in hand. "You were looking for this.. Weren't you?"

Norma was close to tears now and stood up again, walking towards him slowly. "Give me the gun Norman." She told him, her voice barely above a whisper.

But he just stood there, staring at her with the gun at his side. "Poor little Norma."

She kept walking towards him. "Norman give me the gun." She repeated as she approached him.

"I can't."

"Yes you can." She told him, steadily coming closer.

"Mother." he said. It sounded like a warning, which was confirmed by how he subtly angled away from her.

"What?" she asked. She was close enough to touch him now and she did just that, pushing his bangs off his forehead with gentle fingers. She could hear his breathing picking up and knew he was likely warring with himself on what to do.

Turns out he was doing just that as he stared into her eyes, her hand brushing his ear now. He was seemingly frozen in place.

He hated to see his mother cry, and hated even more being the one to cause the tears, but so much was going on in his mind right now and he didn't know what to believe or who to blame for it.

Norma could see the battle waging behind his eyes and cupped his cheek with her hand, moving closer to him still as she ran her fingers through his hair with her other hand.

All of her movements were slow and very gentle and yet you could practically see the tension between them.

Norman looked at a random part of the room just past her face as she leaned close and kissed him on the cheek, her hand not leaving his other.

His breathing was picking up even more now and his thoughts about what he'd even planned to do after he caught up to her were becoming muddled. "Stop mother..." he breathed, the words barely audible - knowing that he didn't mean it, but she kissed his cheek again.

"Stop what?" she replied in between kisses, her hands carresing his face and hair as tears trickled down her cheeks. "I'm just kissing you, like I've kissed you times before." She looked him in the eyes as she said this before leaning in to kiss it again. "Because I love you."

He was still staring at the spot, still frozen in place; the hand that held the gun shaking as the rest of his body was starting to do. He didn't want to hurt his mother - it wasn't like he was going to do that when he was chasing her earlier, he was just confused and worked up and...

Normas lips against his cheek made it hard to think about his motive for having the gun and all that or anything for that matter, so he stopped trying.

His mother could tell this was making him think twice about whatever he had been planning to accomplish with her pistol which meant her goal was in reach. She had to get her son to come off of the deep end and just talk to her - not accuse her like he'd been doing.

She could feel the warmth radiating from him and his sporadic breaths that matched her own on her hair and she didn't stop kissing him, not even as she reached down for the pistol. "Give me the gun Norman." She whispered against his cheek which because of a slight turn of his head became his lips.

This was the moment where he had to decide whether he wanted to continue...whatever he'd been doing, or give in to his mother and let her console him.

His hand was shaking more now but at the last second he didn't stop her from taking the gun from his hand, after which she threw it on the bed and wrapped her arms around him, a sob ripping from her throat.

Tears welled in his own eyes and he closed them, wrapping his arms around her in turn.

"You're going to be okay Norman, it's all going to be okay." She said into his shoulder, her voice thick with tears.

He hugged her tighter. "I'm sorry mother," he said, finally breaking down and crying along with her. "I don't know what came over me. I-it won't happen again I swear."

His mother shook her head and pulled back from the hug, her hands cupping his face again, their faces impossibly close. "Don't worry about it. You're going through a lot - we both are. But we're supposed to go through it together."

He sucked in a breath and nodded, his forehead practically touching hers. "I know.. But you want to send me away." he told her as he realized that as the thing that had set him off. "You went behind my back to send me away."

Norma felt bad about it, she really did, but he did need help and she didn't know how else to do it. No, she couldn't tell him that... How could she get him to see that she was doing all of this to help him? "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry honey. I know it was wrong and I won't do it again." She told him firmly so there would be no doubt in his mind that she was telling the truth. "But you need help, and they can help you. I don't want to make you do anything, but please... Do this for me if not for yourself."

He stared into her eyes as she said this and thought over her words. He knew she was right and despite wanting to stay with her and deal with it with her by his side, his main problem with all of this was her going behind his back, which she wasn't doing any longer.

She'd asked him to stay alive for her and he had listened... What was a few months away from home that might help him with whatever was going on in his head?

He waited several more moments before he nodded and embraced her again. "I'll go. I'll go for you mother, for the both of us."

Norma couldn't stop the smile from splitting her face even as tears kept coming down her cheeks. "Thank you honey. I promise I will visit you as much as I can. If you can call I want you to call me every day." She stressed, pulling back from the hug again to find him smiling also.

"I will I swear." A few more tears escaped his eyes. "I'll miss you mother."

She wiped his tears and kissed his forehead, sitting him down on the bed after she put the gun in her drawer. "Don't worry about missing me yet. You can go tomorrow, we're spending this night together."

He nodded and smiled again, "I'd like that a lot." he told her and got under the covers, pulling her with him. He felt insanely tired even though he hadn't done any strenuous activities today despite running up the stairs.

Once they were both snuggled and tucked in their hands found each other and Norma laced their fingers. "We're going to get through all of this together, just like we've always done."

He laid against her and nodded, already starting to doze. "Together."


End file.
